1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a method for determining performance features of terminal equipment connected to a switching unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,306 discloses a method for thexe2x80x94country-specificxe2x80x94setting of a telephone. Among other things, the attenuation of loudspeaker, the gain of the microphone as well as the protocol versions for national ISDN rules are set accordingly. Information is exchanged between the private branch exchange (PABX) and the telephone for implementation.
Within a private branch exchange, modern communication terminal equipment, both digital as well as analog, are connected to a call processing device via a peripheral processing and a following device handler. These three assemblies are a component part of a switching unit for the private branch exchange. The general structure of such a private branch exchange is described in the publication xe2x80x9cISDN im Bxc3xcro, HICOM, Special Issue, Telcom Report and Siemens-Magazin Comxe2x80x9d (ISDN 3-8009-3846-4) (specifically see pages 69 and 70 therein).
For calling performance features, a corresponding activation message is forwarded from the terminal equipment to the call processing unit, which subsequently makes the requested performance feature available for the terminal equipment. For example, such performance features are automatic redialing, callback, transfer of ringing, brokering, conference, timed reminder, parking, call number memory or operating a server such as, for example, voice mail, text-fax server or answering equipment. The functionality of the terminal equipment is prescribed by the employable performance features.
A distinction between the connection capability of the terminal equipment as differentiation between different marketing channels and different use classes is available given system-specific telephone terminal equipment for private branch exchanges. Even given terminal equipment that are otherwise technologically the same, a differentiation is established in view of the functionality, i.e. the convenience levels, and, thus, of the price as well.
The invention is based on the object of specifying a method of enabling a differentiated connection of technologically identical terminal equipment to various switching units.
The inventive method assures that specific groups of otherwise technologically identical terminal equipment are only connectable to predetermined switching units. This means that the technologically identical terminal equipment can be cost-beneficially fabricated in mass production but, due to the initialization evaluation, can be recognized by the respectively corresponding switching units as being connectable or not.
The switching units can be subsequently upgraded such that a different group or a plurality of groups of terminal equipment can be connected to them.
The invention is described below with reference to an exemplary embodiment shown in the drawing.